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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rule — government
  3. present — there
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. present — the time now
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — all right
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rule — a law
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com